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Sports TwitterGood battle, but Miami falls to Vanderbilt 24-13
Sunday, October 28, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In some ways the Miami RedHawks gave Vanderbilt a better game on Saturday in their 24-13 loss than sixth-ranked South Carolina had a week earlier in the Gamecocks' 17-6 loss to the Commodores.
"I was really pleased with the way we played today," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. "We went toe-to-toe against Vanderbilt."
Extras
The RedHawks knocked the Commodores' starting quarterback out of the game, they held a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter and Miami true freshman Jamal Rogers gave fresh meaning to the song "Born to Run."
None of which made the RedHawks' bus trip home any more pleasant than the flight after their triple-overtime loss at Minnesota.
"It felt bad," Rogers said. "I wanted to win."
The Commodores (5-3 overall) chalked up their second straight victory and inched a little closer to their first bowl berth in 19 years after outgaining Miami on the ground 290 yards to 26.
"We were worried about their veteran offensive line going against our young defensive line," Montgomery said. "It got to the point where they were just pushing us around."
The RedHawks took a 10-7 lead when Rogers scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 40-yard pass from Daniel Raudabaugh, and they also led 13-10 when Nathan Parseghian kicked a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter.
And they might have taken the lead again had Rogers not run out of options on what might have been the most entertaining 18-yard kickoff return in history.
Rogers covered 50, maybe even 60 or 70 yards, after catching the ball at his own 7-yard line. First he veered to his left. When that was shut off, he switched directions and sprinted wide right. When he was cut off again, Rogers went back to the left. He crossed the center of the field three, possibly four times.
"I just turned around and tried to make something happen," Rogers said. "I think I switched fields about three times on that one. I was pretty tired afterward."
Prior to the return, the Commodores had taken a 17-13 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Chris Nickson, who had replaced starting quarterback Mackenzi Adams after Adams had suffered a bruised sternum earlier in the drive.
"You have to give Vanderbilt credit," Montgomery said. "They came right back (after Miami took the lead in the third quarter) and put together some long drives and were able to wear us down, especially on defense."
Miami (4-5 overall) will return to both Yager Stadium and Mid-American Conference action next Saturday against Buffalo, the MAC East Division leader.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
